File ADC: Tobacco-Free Schools Policy

To promote the health, welfare, and safety of all students, staff and visitors, and promote the cleanliness of all facilities, smoking and all other use of tobacco products or simulated tobacco products in school buildings, on all district grounds, on school buses and all other district vehicles is prohibited by all persons at all times. Employees and visitors are encouraged not to use tobacco products within line of sight of school property.

DEFINITIONS:

Smoking means inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, pipe or joint, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation, including hookahs and marijuana, whether natural or synthetic in any manner or in any form. Smoking also includes the use of an electronic smoking device which creates an aerosol or vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in this policy.

Tobacco is defined as all tobacco-derived or containing products, including but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, cigarillos, bidis, kreteks; all smokeless and dissolvable tobacco products, including but not limited to, dip, spit/spit-less, chew, snuff, snus and nasal tobacco; and any product intended to mimic tobacco, containing tobacco flavoring or delivering nicotine, included but not limited to, electronic nicotine delivery systems, e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-hookas, vape pen or any other product name or descriptor, or the use of any other type of tobacco or nicotine product for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of tobacco in this policy. This does not included products specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the purpose of cessation of nicotine replacement therapy.
The Breathe Easy Coalition, Portland Public Health, Portland Maine Maine Cancer Foundation

In addition, students are further prohibited from possessing, selling, distributing or dispensing tobacco products and any product that can be used in a vaping device, in school buildings, facilities, on school grounds, on buses and at school-sponsored functions at all times.

We recognize that vaping devices may fall under both the Tobacco Policy and the Student Substance Use Policy, so administrators will make decisions on which policy to follow based on the circumstances.

Employees and all other persons are also strictly prohibited, under law and Board policy, from selling, distributing or in any way dispensing tobacco products to students.

Tobacco advertising and promotion, including clothing worn, is prohibited (see M.S.A.D. No. 75 Policy KHB) in school buildings, at school functions, and in school publications.

Tobacco prevention education will be incorporated into the District’s K-12 comprehensive health curriculum as part of the Maine Learning Results, so that all students will be aware of the consequences of use/non-use of tobacco products.

M.S.A.D. No. 75 students and staff will have resources available to help them quit using
tobacco, such as onsite counseling, the Maine Tobacco HelpLine and the Quit Link.
This policy and corresponding procedure shall be in the employee and student handbooks, as well as on the District’s website.